STOM 09

STOM

Chapter 9

The Sign of Trouble

“Haaah… How am I supposed to talk to her…?”

That sigh carried all of Reion’s morning frustrations.
Simply put, up to this point, he had hardly exchanged a single word with the transfer student Misty beyond a polite greeting.

He had thought that sitting next to her would make it easy to get close.
But he had underestimated one thing—his own pitiful lack of communication skills as a self-professed nerd.

It was probably the first time in his life that he regretted being so unsociable.

Of course, the “aloof princess” aura that Misty naturally gave off didn’t make approaching her any easier either.
But now that she had suddenly vanished, Reion had no choice but to postpone his “talk-to-her” plan.

“Still… those two sure are taking their time.”

For once, he had come to the school cafeteria during lunch with his two childhood friends, Akikaze and Tsukinagi.
While the two were busy arguing over the menu, Reion had already ordered and found them a seat.

But even now, he wasn’t thinking about his meal.
His mind was full of Misty.

“She’s not a normal girl, so using the normal approach won’t work.
Should I just be direct? Or maybe hint at it more subtly…”

“Sooorry! The line was insane—took forever!”

Lost in thought, Reion looked up to see Akikaze and Tsukinagi finally sitting down across from him, trays in hand.

“Did we make you wait?”
“Not at all. By the way, what did you get, Yamaki?”
“Tonkotsu ramen—extra spicy!”
“Still into those strong flavors, huh? Wait, that color—are you sure that’s edible?”
“Please, this level of spice is nothing! You sure that boring fried rice will fill you up?”
“As long as it fills me, anything’s fine.”

Reion had to admit—eating lunch with both of them like this really did feel nice.
They enjoyed food they normally wouldn’t, laughed at Akikaze’s chili-stained face, and shared opinions on the latest anime episode.

In short, it was an easy, cheerful atmosphere.
The only thing missing was Tsukinagi’s usual spark—she had been silently eating, expression unreadable, as though venting some irritation on her food.

“Hey, Reion. That thing you were muttering about earlier—was it about Mee-tan?”

Akikaze, now satisfied and beaming, suddenly turned toward him.

“Mee…tan?”
“What, you don’t know yet?!”
“Know what?”
“Oh my GOD! Seriously?!”

Pressing his forehead as if in disbelief, Akikaze triumphantly pulled out a poster and spread it in front of Reion.

“Ta-da! Feast your eyes on THIS!”

Printed in the center was Misty in her school uniform, set against a flashy background.
Reion’s jaw dropped halfway open.

“What is this?”
“Behold! The ‘Top Girl You’d Want to Date’ poll—newest Number One!
The noble, beautiful, utterly captivating Mee-tan!
Let us worship! Join the holy Mee-tan Fan Club! Praise her divinity!”

Apparently, “Mee-tan” was the nickname the boys in their grade had given Misty.
She had become a schoolwide goddess in just a few hours.
When Tsukinagi had transferred, it had taken her a full month to reach that level of popularity.

But Reion wasn’t particularly surprised.
In an area where foreigners were rare, Misty’s tall, graceful figure and smooth silver hair—so unlike a typical Japanese girl—were bound to attract attention.

As Reion stared blankly, Akikaze went on bragging enthusiastically.

“Thanks to our biggest ally—the Idol Club—we were able to print these posters in no time!
Oh, and other merch is already in production! Look forward to it!”
“Wait, merchandise?! Are you sure this is okay for Seraphine-san’s privacy?!”
“Totally fine! Anyway—”

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Akikaze leaned in with a grin.

“So, Reion—what do you think of Mee-tan?”
“Huh?!”

Reion froze as if hit by a stun spell.
And he quickly realized the true source of that oppressive pressure—it wasn’t Akikaze.

It was Tsukinagi, glaring daggers at him from the side.
She seemed uninterested in the conversation at first, but clearly, she had been listening all along.

“…Then tell us,” she said after a long pause.

Setting down her chopsticks and wiping her lips delicately with a napkin, she looked him dead in the eye.

“What do you think of Seraphine-san, Reion?”
“What do I think…?”

He choked.
All that came out were a few stammered “uh”s and “umm”s.
He didn’t want to answer—no, he couldn’t.

Because unlike everyone else in Class 3, Reion had already seen the other side of the transfer student.

If he told his childhood friends that Misty had killed the attackers yesterday—even if it was in self-defense—there was no guarantee they’d believe him.
And if they did, his secret as a mage might be exposed to the world.

Which would only bring endless trouble.

“…Guh…”

His pulse quickened.
The fear of how they might react was enough to make him dizzy.

(I have to lie my way out of this…)

He forced himself to calm down and opened his mouth.

“N-no, I don’t think anything of her. Seraphine-san’s just… a transfer student.”
“Heeeh… Really now?” Tsukinagi said dryly, resting her cheek in one hand.
Her dark eyes glinted with doubt.

“It’s true!”
“Really true? Come on, she’s beautiful, ranked number one…”
“It’s really true! A-anyway! What about you, Yamaki? What do you think of Seraphine-san?”

Desperate to deflect the tension and the jealousy radiating from Tsukinagi, Reion waved his hands frantically.

“Hehehe… The word ‘like’ can’t even begin to describe my feelings for Mee-tan!
First off—her silver hair! So silky! So divine! Right, right?!”
“Uh… y-yeah, sure…”
“And her body—don’t you think it’s super sexy?! Ahhh! I wanna be squeezed between those thighs!
Step on me, Mee-tan! Step! On! Me!”

Reion winced at his friend’s open perversion.
Akikaze, meanwhile, didn’t care that the nearby tables were staring—though he did stiffen when Tsukinagi’s disgusted glare hit him like a cold blade.
He coughed awkwardly and sat up straight.

Still, Reion had to admit that Akikaze’s comments probably reflected what most of the male students secretly thought.

But he couldn’t see Misty that way—not just because of what he’d witnessed, but also because he didn’t want Tsukinagi to misunderstand.

And truthfully, Misty just wasn’t his type.

“Well, the only downside,” Akikaze said with mock regret, “is her chest.
A… maybe a B at best.”

He sighed dramatically and shrugged.

“So, Reion, which are you into—small or big?”
“Wha—?! What kind of question is that in the middle of school?!”

Reion’s face went crimson.
That kind of question, especially in front of a jealous Tsukinagi, was social suicide.

But dodging it was impossible.
Tsukinagi’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as she leaned ever so slightly closer, waiting for his answer.

He scratched his cheek, avoiding her gaze, and muttered,

“Honestly… I guess I—”

But he never finished.

It wasn’t shyness that stopped him.
Something had gone wrong with his throat—as if the very air had frozen solid.

A pale blue light swept through the cafeteria in an instant.

Every student, every teacher, even the stray cats and dogs outside in the flower garden—everything living, everything moving—froze in place.

The noise vanished.
The faint clatter of utensils, the hum of conversation—all gone, replaced by a crushing, eerie silence that amplified every faint sound a hundredfold.

“Time… has stopped.”

That was the only way to describe it.

(What the—?! What’s going on?! Yamaki! Arisu! Can you hear me?!)

Of course, they couldn’t.
Of course, they couldn’t move.
All he could feel was the numb stillness pressing against his skin.

(Damn it… The only thing that could do this is magic.
This must be some kind of status ailment.
If I use Purify—wait…!)

Just as he figured out what was happening, he realized his fatal mistake.
Contract magic—the special abilities tied only to mages bonded with spirits.

And the one person he was bound to… was currently resting at home.

(Shit… this is bad…)

It was like that battle with the stubbled man all over again.
He was powerless alone. Only when the two of them fought together could there be any hope.